The invention disclosed herein relates to a device attachable to a closure such as a door or window which automatically moves a sealing portion of the device to insulate a gap between the closure and the opening when the closure is moved to close the opening and which automatically moves the sealing portion away from the opening when the closure is moved to open the opening. Such devices when used to seal the gap at the bottom of a door may be referred to as an automatic door sweep or automatic door drop.
The following U.S. patents disclose devices attached to a door which automatically position a sealing portion thereof to contact a surface defining part of the opening closed by the door when the door is closed, and which move the sealing portion away from the surface when the door is opened: U.S. Pat. No. 237,516 (J. E. Gowen); U.S. Pat. No. 483,995 (E. A. Delancy); U. S. Pat. No. 591,809 (D A Brawley et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 639,026 (J. C. Fernald); U.S. Pat. No. 639,831 (G. L. Scoville); U.S. Pat. No. 728,686 (E. Douden et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 746,910 (W. C. Zimmermann); U.S. Pat. No. 1,460,312 (F. Caron); U.S. Pat. No. 1,548,769 (Thompson); U.S. Pat. No. 1,561,195 (A. Szymkowiak); U.S. Pat. No. 1,771,599 (F. C. Wilson); U.S. Pat. No. 1,843,350 (W. Vedder); U.S. Pat. No. 1,978,761 (S. R. Ramsey); U.S. Pat. No. 2,365,403 (E. H. Galford); U.S. Pat. No. 2,422,607 (F. C. Wynne); U.S. Pat. No. 2,848,767 (E. B. Thompson); U.S. Pat. No. 3,054,154 (F. C. Henderson); U.S. Pat. No. 3,072,977 (J. Burda); U.S. Pat. No. 3,281,990 (K. H. Nilsson); U.S. Pat. No. 3,496,676 (E. Halpern); U.S. Pat. No. 4,045,913 (Wright); U.S. Pat. No. 4,320,793 (Lindbergh); U.S. Pat. No. 4,089,136 (Lapinski et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 4,528,775 (Einarsson); U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,060 (Dumenil et al.); U.S. Pat. No. 4,947,584 (Wexler); U.S. Pat. No. 5,010,691 (K. Takahashi); and Australian Patent No. 115,066; Canadian Patent No. 525,261; Belgian Patent No. 507,977; and French Patent Nos. 664,133 and 841,285. Devices for automatically sealing a door bottom upon closing of the door are currently commercially available from Mackelanberg-Duncan of Oklahoma City, Okla. (as the "Door Sweep") and from Stanely. U.S. Pat. No. 2,587,567 (J. D. Easton) discloses a device for sealing louver blades on a louver window.
While such devices appear to more or less achieve the desired sealing function for the door, there is a need for a sealing device which, among other things, is inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install, fits or is adjustable to fit various size openings, may seal against uneven surfaces, is durable and relatively slim, which can be attached to both left and right opening closures (e.g., doors and windows), and which can be mounted to the inside, outside or in an edge of the closure.